[Vocabulary] Socialist realist

[Silverobama]

[FONT=Verdana, Segoe UI, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Fira Sans, Droid Sans, sans-serif]Hi.

I read a sentence written by an American English speaker.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

Socialist realist authors glorified peasant life.

What does the bold mean?


[/FONT]

 

[jutfrank]

It's likely to do with social realism.

Please give us more context, and information about the text.

 

[Silverobama]

It's likely to do with social realism.

Please give us more context, and information about the text.

A member on WR proofread some of my sentences and this was one of them.

"The author glorified the life of the peasants."

Then he commented "This is fine, but we often use a noun compound: "Socialist realist authors glorified peasant life."

And my question is "What is socialist realist"?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

He actually used several noun compounds there. I wonder if he noticed.

Anyway: Who was the author you were writing about? That will help us answer your question. Here are some general comments:

Literary realist authors of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries broke away from the mainstream by focusing on the lives of ordinary people — peasants, farmers, factory workers. Socialist authors write about social problems, usually in the hope of improving the lives of the working class.

Some writers that fit both descriptions include George Orwell, Upton Sinclair, Sinclair Lewis, and B. Traven.

But if you tell us who the writer is, we'll understand the comment better.

 

[jutfrank]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_realism

Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures behind these conditions. While the movement's characteristics vary from nation to nation, it almost always utilizes a form of descriptive or critical realism.Taking its roots from European Realism, Social Realism aims to reveal tensions between an oppressive, hegemonic force and its victims.

Social realism should not be confused with socialist realism, the official Soviet art form that was institutionalized by Joseph Stalin in 1934 and was later adopted by allied Communist parties worldwide. It is also different from realism as it not only presents conditions of the poor, but does so by conveying the tensions between two opposing forces, such as between farmers and their feudal lord. However, sometimes the terms social realism and socialist realism are used interchangeably.

 

[GoesStation]

Some writers that fit both descriptions include George Orwell, Upton Sinclair, Sinclair Lewis, and B. Traven.

"Socialist realist" does not mean a socialist who's a realist.

 

[emsr2d2]

I find "socialist realist authors" very misleading. They are "social realism authors/writers". The fact that they write about/in the genre of "social realism" doesn't make them socialists!

 

[Alexey86]

Social realism should not be confused with socialist realism

Interesting. We call the latter socialistic realism in Russia.

 

[GoesStation]

I find "socialist realist authors" very misleading. They are "social realism authors/writers". The fact that they write about/in the genre of "social realism" doesn't make them socialists!

I actually wasn't aware of the distinction between social realism and socialist realism until today. I'd been familiar with what my father -- often incorrectly, I now realize -- called "socialist realism" since my childhood. He used the term to mean "art in the style of officially-approved Soviet art". I don't think he was alone in that confusion.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd never heard of "socialist realism" until today.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_realism

Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structures behind these conditions. While the movement's characteristics vary from nation to nation, it almost always utilizes a form of descriptive or critical realism.Taking its roots from European Realism, Social Realism aims to reveal tensions between an oppressive, hegemonic force and its victims.

Social realism should not be confused with socialist realism, the official Soviet art form that was institutionalized by Joseph Stalin in 1934 and was later adopted by allied Communist parties worldwide. It is also different from realism as it not only presents conditions of the poor, but does so by conveying the tensions between two opposing forces, such as between farmers and their feudal lord. However, sometimes the terms social realism and socialist realism are used interchangeably.

Good to learn. Thanks!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

"Socialist realist" does not mean a socialist who's a realist.

No indeed. That's why I said, "Literary realist authors of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries broke away from the mainstream by focusing on the lives of ordinary people — peasants, farmers, factory workers."

I'd still like to know what writer we're talking about.

 

[Silverobama]

But if you tell us who the writer is, we'll understand the comment better.

Do you mean the writer who wrote "Socialist realist authors glorified peasant life"?

He's teacher of English who teaches English in French. I met him on WR. Let me ask him what it means.

 

[emsr2d2]

A member on WR proofread some of my sentences and this was one of them.

"The author glorified the life of the peasants."

Then he commented "This is fine, but we often use a noun compound: "Socialist realist authors glorified peasant life."

Do you mean the writer who wrote "Socialist realist authors glorified peasant life"? He's a teacher of English who teaches English in French. I met him on WR. Let me ask him what it means.

I believe Charlie was referring to "the author" (which I have marked in red above). You said that was your own sentence. Which author were you talking about when you wrote that?

It would be great if you could just ask the person on WR what he meant. Is there a reason you didn't just ask him in the first place, instead of asking us?

 

[Silverobama]

Which author were you talking about when you wrote that?

It would be great if you could just ask the person on WR what he meant. Is there a reason you didn't just ask him in the first place, instead of asking us?

Oops, I made a mistake. I'm sorry.

When CB was talking about the author, I thought he meant the one who wrote the sentence "Socialist.....". Yes, I said it was my own sentence. But I meant these sentences are from my notebooks and I'm the owner of my notebooks. So, I was misinterpreting something; I am deeply sorry for that.

Yes, I already asked him. The only reason is because he's not always online. He's been a member there for a few years but he has less than, say, 1500 contribution of posts. He spent 10 minutes there from time to time.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Oops, I made a mistake. I'm sorry.

When CB was talking about the author, I thought he meant the one who wrote the sentence "Socialist.....". Yes, I said it was my own sentence. But I meant these sentences are from my notebooks and I'm the owner of my notebooks. So, I was misinterpreting something; I am deeply sorry for that.

Yes, I already asked him. The only reason is because he's not always online. He's been a member there for a few years but he has less than, say, 1500 contribution of posts. He spent 10 minutes there from time to time.

And I should have said "authors," not "author." That's probably why my question confused you.

 

[Silverobama]

No, CB. It's my problem.

I need to keep learning so that I can understand native speakers easily. He hasn't replied yet but I'll paste his answer when he replies to me.

 

[Silverobama]

From the WR member:

[FONT=&quot]"Socialist realist" is the adjective form of "socialist realism." It's an art and literature movement that was endorsed by the ruling powers of the Soviet Union. I've read a little bit of American socialist realism, but not any from abroad. The idea was, "No more bourgeois fantasies! Tell the stories of ordinary working people." (And in accordance with Party doctrine.) It's not the kind of literature I enjoy, but it's the kind of literature that would definitely "glorify peasant life."[/FONT]